ASTERN NATIONAL ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 ASTERN NATIONAL 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

2 ISCAL YEAR 2016 Front Cover: As an NPS Centennial event, Upper Delaware SRR hosted a 100th Birthday Party during which park staff and volunteers as well as the National Canoe Safety Patrol formed the number 100 in the river with kayaks and canoes. PHOTO BY DAVID B. SOETE COURTESY OF UPPER DELAWARE SRR Inside Front Cover/Page 1: Hensley Settlement at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. PHOTO BY HAROLD L. JERRELL ii EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

3 Our Mission Eastern National promotes the public s understanding and support of America s national parks and other public trust partners by providing quality educational experiences, products, and services. Our Contribution Through the years, Eastern National s donations to America s national parks have purchased such critical items as land, artifacts, media for park libraries, period costumes for living history demonstrations and reenactments, signage and exhibits, facility renovations and upgrades, interpretive tools and programs, staff training programs, and much more. Donations have also funded archeological, historical, and cultural research programs that have had a direct impact on the parks and their interpretive programs. Our Reach Today we serve over 160 national parks and other public trusts across 33 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Since our founding in 1947, we have provided $142 million in direct and in-kind donations to our partners.

4 Board Chair s Message On behalf of the Eastern National Board of Directors, management, and staff, I am honored to present Eastern National s 2016 annual report. It is gratifying to have experienced such a high level of success in the year in which we celebrated the National Park Service Centennial. I would like to thank our partners in the parks we serve for their cooperation and counsel as we strive together each day to provide exceptional educational experiences to park visitors. I appreciate the contributions and support of each member of our board in this endeavor. It has been most satisfying as the board chair to work with new Chief Executive Officer Kevin Kissling and his staff and to see them so adeptly build on the momentum of our past efforts and take the organization to new heights. As we look toward the coming year, we welcome Harvey Perry to our board. Harvey has a distinguished career in the banking industry and has served on various boards and capital campaign committees for nonprofit organizations. We bid a fond farewell to departing board member Deb Yandala, whose term has concluded, and we thank her for her many contributions to our success. We are pleased with our results, and we need to remain focused on the future. Our current success is clearly the result of the plans, decisions, and investments that we strategically made in the past. It is important to continue this momentum and to be steadfast in our approach. Our goal remains to invest our resources wisely so we can drive our partnership with the partners we serve to even greater levels of achievement. George Minnucci Lincoln Memorial PHOTO BY DALE L. PATE 2 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

5 Fort Pulaski National Monument PHOTO BY JOEL CADOFF Chief Executive Officer s Message As the National Park Service s centennial year comes to a close, and I reflect on success during the past year, I m reminded how honored I am to work for such an incredible, mission-based organization with so many talented people. The year was full of many accomplishments, and none of them would have been possible without the dedication of all Eastern National team members, our board of directors, and our partners was a year of extraordinary results that exceeded expectations. Centennial-branded product lines, new publications, our signature Passport To Your National Parks program, and e-commerce all contributed to our success. A key factor driving sales growth this year was an unprecedented inventory investment early in the selling season. The positive results of 2016 will provide additional financial resources to make long-needed investments in technology, professional development, equipment, and inventory, while allowing us to sustain our mission, build our cash reserves, and maintain financial support to the partners we serve. The year was also a time for planning our future. We embarked upon a strategic planning process to assess our current state, examine our mission and core values, review our strengths and weaknesses, determine and prioritize goals, and perform a reality check to understand how much could be accomplished and by when. Along the way we solicited feedback from our team, our partners, and outside organizations. Our strategic plan features an overarching central strategic challenge, which is to strengthen Eastern National s foundation to accelerate mission delivery and growth. We will concentrate our efforts on maximizing opportunities in our brick-andmortar retail stores, while at the same time looking at new ways to be a stronger partner to the agencies we serve. As we move forward, we will remain true to our mission and our sharing philosophy. As we enter our 70th year serving the visitors to America s national parks and other public trusts, we remain committed to providing visitors with quality educational experiences, products, and services. Kevin C. Kissling EASTERN NATIONAL

6 STRATEGIC PLAN Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Partnerships We will strengthen working relationships, communications, and partner orientation programs, while developing a strategy to define, articulate, and live the EN brand. Strengthen Relationships Enhance and formalize working relationships among Eastern National and partner staff to improve communications and to be a more strategic partner. Develop orientation and training programs to strengthen operations, relationships, and collaboration. Increase Brand Awareness Develop a brand strategy to define, articulate, and implement the EN brand story. Develop a formal marketing and communications plan to guide EN messaging for visitors and partners. People We will increase support to our field and park partners, support a high-performing and highly accountable workforce, and help our staff succeed in current and future roles. Increase Field Support Adjust field reporting and regional structure to increase capacity and to be more strategic in how we serve our partners and stores. Align HQ departments to provide stronger support to the field and to align with our new strategic initiatives. Support High-Performance Culture Design and implement an improved Performance Management System to maintain a high-performing staff and to increase accountability. Update our compensation philosophy, along with our total rewards and benefits model, to attract and retain top talent. Expand employee recognition programs to increase employee engagement. Develop Talent Develop talent for stronger performance in their current roles and to prepare them for new opportunities inside EN. Acquire additional talent to fill organizational gaps in knowledge, skills, and abilities. Develop a succession plan for key positions to ensure long-term operational continuity. 4 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

7 Our Central Strategic Challenge: Strengthen Eastern National s Foundation to Accelerate Mission Delivery and Growth. With guidance from our board and a strategic planning firm, Eastern National introduced a strategic plan initiative in early Dedicated to ensuring a strong operational base while increasing support for our partners, the plan features a single Central Strategic Challenge that will guide us throughout 2019: Strengthen Eastern National s foundation to accelerate mission delivery and growth. Additionally, four Strategic Priorities were identified as key areas of focus for Eastern National: partnerships, people, operations, and finances. In 2017, we will begin implementation, including the development of work plans that will drive each goal to completion. Foundation strengthening activities, such as the development of new capabilities, will continue throughout 2018 with the expectation that we will begin seeing returns in 2019 as we implement new tools and procedures that will ultimately accelerate mission delivery and growth. Operations We will improve our core work processes, streamline inventory management procedures, update our current POS platform, and consolidate or eliminate legacy IT systems. Strengthen Infrastructure Document and digitize key processes to codify and archive how EN works. Streamline existing processes and develop new, lean processes to gain operational efficiencies. Implement a project collaboration and communication solution to work more efficiently as teams. Improve Inventory Management Centralize vendor management and buying of select product categories to streamline our retail supply chain, maximize our buying power, and ensure merchandise quality standards are met. Establish assortment-planning criteria and category-management processes to strengthen our merchandise lifecycle and keep products mission-focused. Develop Open-to-Buy guidelines to optimize inventory replenishment and revenue. Update Retail Technology Replace current Point-of-Sale system to support future growth and improve retail operations and reporting. Develop a disaster recovery strategy for key data to secure our knowledge base. Integrate systems to eliminate redundancies and to simplify technology tools and processes. Finances We will develop in-kind services programs, maximize our retail revenue and donations, and develop fundraising capabilities for the parks we serve. Build Capacity Develop in-kind services program to supplement mission-based and operational expenses. Improve Financial Return Grow same-store sales to maximize retail revenue. Improve our net operating income to provide increased donations to partners and invest in our infrastructure. Increase donations to partners to provide greater financial support for their educational and interpretive activities. Fundraise for Parks Develop policies to support existing fundraising partners at parks we serve. Participate in the Checkout Counter Donation Program based on the updated DO-21 to increase our financial return to parks. Develop grant-acquisition capabilities to support EN and our partners. Determine feasibility of adopting a greater role in fundraising to support partner needs. EASTERN NATIONAL

8 RODUCTS Centennial Products As the National Park Service celebrated their 100th birthday, Eastern National supported the event with an extensive line of commemorative merchandise. New NPS Centennial products topped the best-sellers list. In some stores, the inventory investment had a bigger impact on sales increases than the increased visitation during the year. 6 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

9 PUBLICATIONS Eastern National Publications For fiscal year 2016, we produced a variety of new Eastern National publications. Four Civil War Series titles, The Battles for Chattanooga; The Battles for Richmond, 1862; The Second Battle of Manassas; and The Civil War s Black Soldiers, were each redesigned and updated with new full-color photos. Two new titles under the America s National Parks Press imprint were produced: Civil Rights in America and Alexander Hamilton. These books are sold at dollar stores across the country, reaching a broader and more diverse audience beyond those who visit national parks. Site-specific titles included Cumberland Gap: Pathway to a Land of Mist and Mystery; James A. Garfield: His Life and Legacy; and Take a Look Inside: Theodore Roosevelt s Sagamore Hill. Also published in 2016 was The Reconstruction Era, an official National Park Service Handbook. TO CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY of the National Park Service, Eastern National released the new publication Happy Birthday to America s National Parks. This publication and the America s National Parks: A Photographic Journey Through Nearly 400 National Treasures book, a Passport To Your National Parks Centennial edition, a Passport Collector s Edition, and the 2016 commemorative Passport stamp set were top sellers for the year. EASTERN NATIONAL

10 2016 eparks In 2016, sales revenue from eparks.com increased over 117% The online eparks product catalog continued to grow with the addition of BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS from Eastern National park stores and national parks across the country. As park visitation increased during the NPS Centennial celebration, the volume of merchandise, including sales of Passport To Your National Parks books and stamp sets, increased to GROW THE WHOLESALE BUSINESS 41% IN Throughout the NPS Centennial year, eparks offered COLLECTIBLE MERCHANDISE to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Our online database has DOUBLED reaching tens of thousands of national park visitors and collectors. 8 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

11 One of the things I have come to enjoy as a unique feature of my job, especially in this past year of growth, is that when contacting us, our customers see us as friends, not just a voice on the other end of the phone. This is due to our customers passion and enthusiasm about the parks and Passport program! By sharing their stories and memories with me, I came to understand that of the many things that go into their park experience, the Passport To Your National Parks is a key element in bringing it all together. Dave Hoffman, Assistant Unit Manager, America s National Parks Warehouse and eparks Team Steamtown National PHOTO BY AFTON WOODWARD EASTERN NATIONAL

12 2016 REGIONAL Eastern National Regions ND MI VT ME SD NE KS MN IA MO WI IL IN MI KY OH WV PA VA NY NH MA RI CT NJ MD DE Washington, DC VA OK AR TN SC NC MS AL GA TX LA FL PR US VI BLUE RIDGE CARIBBEAN COASTAL MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL SOUTHEAST COASTAL VIRGINIA GREAT LAKES METRO NEW YORK MID-ATLANTIC NATIONAL CAPITAL NEW ENGLAND SOUTHEAST SOUTHERN VIRGINIA 10 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

13 HIGHLIGHTS DURING THE MOMENTOUS CENTENNIAL YEAR, Eastern National was proud to partner with the National Park Service fulfilling our mission to promote the public s understanding and support of America s national parks and other public trust partners by providing quality educational experiences, products, and services. With 308 stores in 33 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, Eastern National experienced gross sales of over $42 million in FY16. Through sales at our park stores, EN is able to provide support to our NPS partners with donation funding and competitive grants. In FY16, we provided $6.6 million in direct and in-kind donations to our partners. The following pages spotlight some of the centennial year highlights and the ways in which Eastern National provided support to our park partners in Along with the NPS as a whole, Acadia NP celebrated its own centennial in 2016, and EN funds supported a variety of significant projects at the park. EN donations of over $29,000 provided funding for ranger-led program brochures, exhibit items for a new climate change exhibit, boat trips for 4th graders, NPS Centennial celebration activities, and more. EN also developed an assortment of merchandise, including patches, pins, and hiking medallions, which featured Acadia s centennial logo. To maintain the high-quality standard of these items, the park s chief of interpretation worked closely with EN to produce and wholesale the merchandise to local retailers. Adams NHP used over $6,900 in EN donation funding in FY16, with over $4,000 being used for the park s July 4th weekend celebration one of the most successful in the park s history. The event marked four celebrations: The NPS Centennial, the 70th anniversary of the park, the 10th anniversary performance of Jefferson and Adams: A Stage Play, and, last but certainly not least, America s independence! More than 3,000 visitors enjoyed the festivities, which included opera, reenactments, and the ceremonial reading of the Declaration of Independence. Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS used EN donation funds for memberships in local historical and genealogical societies and for advertisements in local newspapers to promote park activities. EN funds were also used for several key programs, including the annual Living History Day, which drew over 300 visitors, and the Spirits on the Summit tours and Spirits of Staple Bend Tunnel tours, which attracted more than 400 visitors. Antietam NB and EN completed their first full year in partnership in One of the yearlong promotions that EN supported was Hike 16 in 2016 in which park visitors were encouraged to hike 16 miles on the battlefield trails to commemorate the NPS s important milestone. EN donated 100 NPS Centennial pins that were given to the first 100 hikers who completed 16 miles. Another major NPS Centennial event was the Salute to Independence. EN moved its sales area outside offering products to the over 25,000 attendees of this event. Centennial products were the focus of the sales effort, reinforcing the NPS Centennial theme. Thanks to over $24,000 of EN donation support, Appomattox Court House NHP was able to fund a number of park needs. Most of the funds supported the park s living history program. The first-person interpreters (including NPS living history interpreters) presented 966 programs to 16,097 visitors. Assateague Island NS used over $65,000 in EN donations. These donations were the primary source of funding for supplies and equipment for the aquaria in both of the park s districts. EN funds supported volunteers, interns, and a full-time seasonal park ranger in 2016, enabling the park to visit schools, present an afterschool academy, assist with projects, and provide other formal and informal visitor contacts. We depend on Eastern National to fund and support many of the essential programs and services for park visitors. We look forward to continuing our partnership in resource preservation and education in the years to come. Timothy Stone, Superintendent, Fort Sumter NM and Charles Pinckney NHS Eastern National joined Cape Cod NS for the 20th anniversary celebration of the historic move of the Highland Lighthouse. EASTERN NATIONAL

14 At Cape Cod NS, EN donations funded the seashore s signature NPS Centennial event a performance by the Cape Symphony on August 25, The park used over $42,000 in donation funds for this as well as a variety of significant educational and interpretive projects, including the cell phone interpretive program and printing of the park s newspaper. EN was also on hand to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the historic move of the Highland Lighthouse in July, offering special commemorative merchandise. Blue Ridge Parkway Park Ranger Gail Fox conducts a Parks As Classroom program for a class of 4th graders. EN funding enables the park to offer these curriculum-based educational programs to thousands of elementary school students from counties adjacent to the parkway. At Blue Ridge Parkway, the total annual sales were $2,303,109, representing a 24 percent increase over EN donations of over $200,000 supported the park in multiple ways, including $172,500 to support the Parks As Classroom program. EN s publication America s National Parks: A Photographic Journey Through Nearly 400 National Treasures was a huge success for the parkway during the centennial year, selling 1,070 copies. EN donations of over $78,000 provided needed funding support to Boston NHP in FY16. A Find Your Park National Parks of Boston video production project and various activities and events for the NPS Centennial and Founders Day celebration were among the endeavors supported by EN funds. Canaveral NS celebrated the NPS Centennial with some very special events made possible with EN funds, including an EN Centennial Grant that supported celebration concerts. The EN donation account was the highest in the park s history $11,700 was used in FY16 for various purposes. These included sending two interpretive rangers to the National Marine Educators Association workshop in Orlando, Florida; purchasing supplies and T-shirts for volunteer events such as the International Coastal Cleanup; and providing the funding for replacement wayside panels. EN sales in the Apollo Visitor Center increased 20 percent over the previous year, and NPS Centennial products and other new items gave the store a celebratory feel. EN donation funds totaling $22,700 supported important endeavors at Castillo de San Marcos NM and Fort Matanzas NM. These included the volunteer program and the continuing partnership with St. Augustine Historical Society to manage historic research materials and the park library. A variety of NPS Centennial merchandise was added to the store inventory, and the America s National Parks: A Photographic Journey Through Nearly 400 National Treasures, published by EN, was the best-selling new book in Fiscal year 2016 was a very good year for Catoctin Mountain Park. The NPS Centennial promotion resulted in increased interest in the park, and visitation was up 25 percent. Gross sales totaled $50,827 an increase of 34 percent over the previous year. EN continued to support vital interpretive functions, including volunteer recognition. Eastern National has always been a strong partner to Cape Cod National Seashore, helping to fulfill our education mission. The store and interpretive operation at Highland Light has vastly improved the visitor services program there in the past three years. In 2016, Eastern National was the sole sponsor of the national seashore s hallmark centennial event, a performance by the Cape Symphony. Over 800 people enjoyed Founders Day with a remarkable concert under the stars at the Salt Pond Visitor Center. George Price, Superintendent, Cape Cod National Seashore BLUE RIDGE REGION NORTH CAROLINA Blue Ridge Parkway (NC & VA) Carl Sandburg Home National VIRGINIA George Washington and Jefferson National Forests* (also in Virginia Region) *affiliated agencies CARIBBEAN REGION PUERTO RICO El Yunque National Forest* San Juan National US VIRGIN ISLANDS Christiansted National COASTAL MID-ATLANTIC REGION NORTH CAROLINA Cape Hatteras National Seashore Fort Raleigh National Wright Brothers National Memorial To celebrate the NPS s 100th birthday and show appreciation for our park partners, EN held a number of centennial appreciation events such as this one at Antietam NB. 12 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

15 EN donation funding supported the second annual Bioblitz event at Effigy Mounds NM. Participants are shown in the natural prairie working to find, record, and identify every species present. Charles Pinckney NHS used EN donation funds in FY16 to support several special events. In May, EN donations supported a history discovery day. In August, visitors to a Day in Your Park event commemorating the NPS Centennial enjoyed music from the colonial era thanks to EN funds. In September, with the help of EN funding, the park held its 19th annual naturalization ceremony, during which 125 people from 48 different countries became new citizens. The EN store at Chattahoochee River NRA had an increase in gross sales in FY16, thanks in a large part to NPS Centennial items that were for sale. Sales were $9,312 compared to $6,140 the previous year. EN donations were used to support a number of interpretive programs and education meetings. Without the generous Centennial Grant from Eastern National, we could not have hosted our Centennial Celebration Concert event...these funds enable Canaveral National Seashore to reach a broader audience and have a greater impact on visitor understanding of the NPS mission. Laura E. Henning, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services, Canaveral National Seashore COASTAL SOUTHEAST REGION FLORIDA Apalachicola National Forest* Canaveral National Seashore Castillo de San Marcos National Monument De Soto National Memorial Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center Fort Caroline National Memorial Fort Matanzas National Monument Ocala National Forest* Osceola National Forest* Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve GEORGIA Cumberland Island National Seashore Fort Pulaski National Monument NORTH CAROLINA Cape Lookout National Seashore Fort Macon State Park* Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Moores Creek National Battlefield SOUTH CAROLINA Charles Pinckney National Congaree National Park Cowpens National Battlefield Fort Sumter National Monument/Fort Moultrie Kings Mountain National Military Park Ninety Six National COASTAL VIRGINIA REGION MARYLAND Assateague Island National Seashore (MD & VA) VIRGINIA Colonial National Historical Park/Jamestown Glasshouse The 2016 annual collector s piece from the Jamestown Glasshouse was a reproduction oil lamp dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. EASTERN NATIONAL

16 EN site managers Jacqui Payne and Mickey Goodson assist a customer during Cumberland Gap NHP s signature NPS Centennial event, An American Memoir: From the Hearts of Our Ancestors Into the Hands of Our Children, which was supported by an EN Centennial Grant and additional donation funds. PHOTO BY JOSHUA T. MOORE Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP used EN donation funds totaling $11,000, which supported at least 22 different park events for the NPS Centennial year. On January 1, the park, with assistance from EN, sponsored the Williamsport, Maryland, Polar Bear Plunge. Parties for the public celebrating the park s 45th birthday in January and the NPS Centennial in August were supported with EN funds. EN provided support for 11 different volunteer interpretive trainings and interpretation and education staff training events. As in the past, EN funds were also used to support smaller community events in neighboring towns along the canal. The living history program at Historic Jamestowne at Colonial NHP is now in its third decade as a mainstay of the interpretive offerings at the site and is wholly supported by EN donations. The park used $72,600 in EN donation funds for this as well as additional park programming and several annual events such as the Civil War weekend in April. The Jamestown Glasshouse crafted limited-edition items celebrating the NPS Centennial, including a green glass ranger hat and paperweights and ornaments in teal, cobalt blue, and green. Cowpens NB held the 235th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Cowpens and the annual Celebration of Freedom with assistance from EN donation funds, which provided support for reenactors at both events. Cumberland Gap NHP used over $8,000 in EN donation funds in FY16. Funds were used to augment grant funds for the park s signature NPS Centennial event, An American Memoir: From the Hearts of Our Ancestors... Into the Hands of Our Children, and helped to secure the services of many of the 100 living historians for the event. The event also celebrated the release of the Kentucky America the Beautiful quarter, which featured Cumberland Gap. The store experienced a 100 percent increase in EN sales, and the new EN-produced publication Cumberland Gap: Pathway to a Land of Mist and Mystery sold over 300 copies in the first 30 days it was available for purchase. GREAT LAKES REGION EN employees at Flight 93 N MEM enjoy cake celebrating the NPS s 100th birthday as part of EN s centennial appreciation events. ILLINOIS Illinois Waterway US Army Corps of Engineers* Lincoln Home National INDIANA George Rogers Clark National Historical Park Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial IOWA Effigy Mounds National Monument Herbert Hoover National KENTUCKY Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Mammoth Cave National Park MICHIGAN Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore MINNESOTA Grand Portage National Monument Superior National Forest* MISSOURI Harry S Truman National NEBRASKA Niobrara National Scenic River 14 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

17 De Soto N MEM hosted a naturalization ceremony for the August 25 NPS Founders Day 100th birthday celebration, and the park provided each of the 12 new citizens with their own Passport To Your National Parks Centennial Edition. In July, with support from EN, Effigy Mounds NM hosted its second annual Bioblitz an event where volunteers and park staff work to find, record, and identify every species present in an area of the monument. Fire Island NS used EN funds to support several interpretive programs, including a watercolor workshop, an educator s workshop and open house, and an exhibit reception for a juried art exhibition. Fiscal year 2016 was the first full year of operations of the EN store at Flight 93 N MEM s new visitor center, and sales were over $938,000. EN supported educational programming through in-kind contributions of NPS Centennial water bottles at a 30 percent discount for over 600 visiting students, offering them a green alternative and serving as a reminder of their visit. Eastern National continued being a great partner during the 2016 NPS Centennial as well as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 50th anniversary year. Our public programming expanded exponentially, and EN was always there by our side. We concocted some crazy program venues, and EN, again, was always there was a record year in sales at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; the continued support we receive gets better and better. I can only imagine this work continuing. Thank you so much, Eastern National! Paul Labovitz, Superintendent, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore GRANTS In fiscal year 2016, Eastern National was proud to fund numerous important park projects through its competitive grant program in support of three different NPS initiatives. These EN partners were awarded grants in the following amounts for each initiative: CENTENNIAL GRANTS Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area - $1,725 for promotional rack cards and special-edition patches for recognition of completion of the Centennial Challenge: 100 Miles for 100 Years program, which challenged visitors to complete at least 100 miles of activity during the 2016 calendar year. Canaveral National Seashore - $6,050 for support for a Centennial Celebration Concert featuring the Bethune-Cookman University Music Outreach Program and New Smyrna Beach Middle School Jazz Ensemble. Catoctin Mountain Park - $3,250 to purchase patches for the participants of Snap It, Don t Stomp It! The Catoctin Insect Bioblitz and to print Junior Ranger activity booklets. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - $10,000 to help fund living historians for the park s signature NPS Centennial event, An American Memoir: From the Hearts of Our Ancestors Into the Hands of Our Children. James A. Garfield National - $10,000 to support the park s annual Civil War encampment weekend. Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park - $500 for costs associated with the production of a site guide for the park. Russell Cave National Monument - $10,000 for a Native American storytelling event and cultural demonstrations as well as transportation costs for students to visit the park. Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway - $3,000 for stipends for researchers and subject-matter experts involved in collecting and recording data for the riverway s 2016 Bioblitz event. Salem Maritime National and Saugus Iron Works National - $9,600 for free educational summer boat/kayak programs, including funding for instructors/guides, boats, paddles, and safety equipment, for local youth and their families. OHIO Cuyahoga Valley National Park Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Hopewell Culture National Historical Park James A. Garfield National Perry s Victory and International Peace Memorial William Howard Taft National SOUTH DAKOTA Minuteman Missile National WISCONSIN Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (WI & MN) Springfield Armory National - $7,200 for costs associated with the creation of a centennial-themed exhibit and related promotional materials as part of NPS participation in the Big E the Eastern States Exposition, one of the largest fairs in the Northeast. Thomas Stone National - $1,900 to support a July 4, 2016 performance by the Port Tobacco Players of 1776, a musical which recounts a pivotal time in our nation s history and the role the signers of the Declaration of Independence played in it. Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve - $4,000 to purchase Junior Ranger hats and badges and provide support for the park to bring a group of local children to Centennial Night at the Ball Park with the Jacksonville Suns minor league baseball team. As part of the game night events, the children, who had earned Junior Ranger badges at Fort Caroline National Memorial, were sworn in as Junior Rangers. EASTERN NATIONAL

18 GRANTS EVERY KID IN A PARK GRANTS Fort Stanwix National Monument and other New York State (NYS) national parks - $10,000 towards costs for the April 2016 issue of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation s Conservationist magazine, which highlighted the Every Kid in a Park initiative and was distributed free to every 4th grade NYS public school system student as well as through other distribution channels across the state. Hampton National - $3,200 to fund two one-week summer camps for Baltimore-area 4th grade students to share with them the history of the site through immersion in period activities and stories of those who worked on the Hampton estate and those who owned it. Obed Wild and Scenic River - $1,400 to translate the park s Junior Ranger booklet into Spanish to interpret effectively and connect with diverse audiences. Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park - $7,480 to bring 100 4th grade students, who were the winners of an art project about the falls, and their family members on an excursion to the park and its nearby sister parks, Thomas Edison NHP and Morristown NHP. Hopewell Furnace benefited greatly from Eastern National in the centennial year of the National Park Service. Eastern National s grant program provided funds for sorely needed additions to the costumes used in programs, and EN improved the flexibility and visual appeal of the store through improvements to sales fixtures. Finally, we had a record-breaking year in sales, partially achieved through improvements in merchandise selection. Thank you, Eastern National! David Blackburn, Site Manager, Hopewell Furnace National Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - $10,000 to develop a comprehensive 4th grade curriculum guide outlining park programming and to fund related educational materials. Saratoga National Historical Park - $3,500 to develop and provide 24 Traveling Haversack Kits containing teacher s guides and learning materials on the American Revolution for use in local school districts. CALL TO ACTION GRANTS Buffalo National River - $10,000 to create a life jacket loaner program, in which complimentary life jackets are available to park visitors for a day or weekend, increasing life jacket use and educating the public about their importance. George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National - $3,848 to host The Dream Rocket Project: An Art Show, featuring art produced by students in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., with themed-based exhibits at both parks. Hopewell Furnace National - $4,000 to purchase custom-made reproduction period clothing for the living history program. Manassas National Battlefield Park - $4,950 to support the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences: Helping Youth Discover Our National Parks project, in which over 4,000 Prince William County Public Schools students participated in onsite field investigations of the water resources in one of the park s creeks. Obed Wild and Scenic River - $3,000 to provide travel vouchers to local and nearby urban school groups to participate in the park s night sky field trips as part of the Dark Night Sky initiative, an effort that teaches the importance of a dark night sky, how it is affected by pollution, and how to protect this crucial resource. Saratoga National Historical Park - $5,650 to research architectural and historical materials and to furnish and interpret the circa 1787 kitchen pantry at the General Philip Schuyler House. Custom-made reproduction period clothing for the living history program at Hopewell Furnace NHS was funded through an EN Call to Action Grant. METRO NEW YORK REGION NEW JERSEY Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park NEW YORK African Burial Ground National Monument Castle Clinton National Monument Federal Hall National Memorial Fire Island National Seashore Gateway National Recreation Area (NY & NJ) General Grant National Memorial Governors Island National Monument Hamilton Grange National Memorial Sagamore Hill National Statue of Liberty National Monument/Ellis Island (NY & NJ) Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National 16 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

19 Fort Pulaski NM used over $7,800 in EN donations. These donations provided funding for a variety of park needs such as support for guest speakers and other performance artists who participated in the NPS Centennial celebration at the fort. It was an exceptional year for EN operations at Fort Smith NHS. The store benefited from an infusion of NPS Centennial products that drove sales to one of the highest levels in over 10 years. Numerous public programs were made possible with EN s support, including National Train Day, the Western Heritage Art Show, an amateur ham radio event, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and an NPS Centennial book-signing event featuring local authors. EN provided continued support of living history and volunteer programs as well as interpretive planning at the park. NPS Centennial-year special events at Fort Sumter NM that were supported by EN funds and staff included an NPS Centennial Concert on the grounds of Fort Moultrie; a Centennial Sunset Cruise to Fort Sumter; and an event celebrating the release of the South Carolina America the Beautiful quarter, which features an image of Sergeant William Jasper at Fort Moultrie. Jasper rallied American troops during the Revolutionary War battle of Sullivan s Island. The park used over $35,700 in EN donation funds in FY16. Total sales for the three store locations at the park were up 13 percent from the previous year. EN and Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP continue to have a strong cooperative relationship when it comes to serving the public. NPS staff covers for EN staff a couple of days per week in the winter at Chancellorsville, and in turn, EN staff often offers regular assistance to visitors at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. The park used over $10,900 in EN support, which was essential to several major accomplishments, including the development of a new series of site bulletins and trail maps and a system of banners that improve communication with park visitors. George Washington Memorial Parkway used $104,000 in EN donation funding in fiscal year EN funding enabled the parkway to plan many park events, sustain service initiatives, secure honorariums, restore historic objects, hold special observances, enjoy celebrations, and provide educational programming for many audiences. The parkway had a successful NPS Centennial-year kick-off event with the support of EN funding. EN provided support to interpretive efforts at Grand Portage NM s NPS Centennial Rendezvous Days Programs were presented that explored life during the 18th-century Great Lakes fur trade era, including cooking demonstrations, interpretation about maritime trade and sailors, NPS PHOTO BY VANESSA SMILEY Eastern National s president and CEO, Kevin Kissling (center), cuts the ribbon at the newly renovated museum shop in Morristown NHP s Washington s Headquarters Museum. Joining Kevin are New Jersey State Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco (left) and Morristown NHP Superintendent Tom Ross. and miniature portrait painting. Participants could keep what they made at tinsmithing workshops candle holders for children and tin platters for adults. Sales at the EN store reached a new milestone the highest in history with a record $79,052. EN donation funds totaling over $17,800 funded a variety of programs and park needs for Gulf Islands NS. Centennial programs supported with EN funds included a Bioblitz at Naval Live Oaks, a black powder living history event at Fort Massachusetts, and a candlelight tour of Fort Pickens. The candlelight tour had the largest attendance ever, with over 860 visitors. Homestead National Monument of America used EN funding to bring speakers and presenters to the park for public programs and to provide trophies for the Monumental Fiddling Championship. Funds were also used for fees associated with attending an Abraham Lincoln birthday celebration and for booths at the Jefferson and Gage county fairs to bring awareness to the park. Hopewell Culture NHP put EN donation funds to use in a variety of ways. The annual Pumpkin Walk, a meeting with members of Native American tribes, a bluebird monitoring and conservation project, honoraria for the Summer Lecture Series, an atlatl demonstration for International Picnic Day, and more were all supported with EN funding. MID-ATLANTIC REGION MARYLAND Antietam National Battlefield Catoctin Mountain Park Hampton National Monocacy National Battlefield NEW JERSEY Morristown National Historical Park Thomas Edison National Historical Park NEW YORK Fort Stanwix National Monument Martin Van Buren National Saratoga National Historical Park Women s Rights National Historical Park PENNSYLVANIA Allegheny Portage Railroad National Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Edgar Allan Poe National Flight 93 National Memorial Fort Necessity National Battlefield Friendship Hill National Hopewell Furnace National Independence National Historical Park Johnstown Flood National Memorial Steamtown National Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River EASTERN NATIONAL

20 NPS PHOTO BY TODD ARRINGTON The 7th annual Civil War encampment weekend at James A. Garfield NHS was supported with funding from an EN Centennial Grant. Held in July 2016, this encampment was the most successful one in the event s history. In FY16, Hopewell Furnace NHS experienced a 46 percent increase in EN sales from the previous year. EN funds supported charcoal-making demonstrations, a Sheep Shearing Day special event, and volunteer recognition at the park. EN sales for 2016 at Hot Springs NP were up 25 percent over the previous year. Along with team effort and creativity, creating new exhibits and placing a small exhibit in the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center assisted in this success. EN staff provided support during Independence NHP s signature NPS Centennial event, the Philadelphia Flower Show, whose theme was Explore America: 100 Years of the National Park Service. EN assisted the park and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in promoting the Passport To Your National Parks program by providing Passport books that were sold at the show and also provided special coupons to the park s stores to help draw Flower Show traffic back to the park. At James A. Garfield NHS, EN published the park s first official guidebook, James A. Garfield: His Life and Legacy. EN donation funding supported the park s annual Easter Monday Egg Roll event, which has historic roots with the Garfield White House, and an Evening with Edgar Allan Poe program. EN donations totaling nearly $20,000 supported a wide range of activities at Jean Lafitte NHP & PRES in FY16. Funding supported NPS Centennial events ranging from a kick-off event at Chalmette Battlefield s Battle of New Orleans anniversary in January to birthday cake at each of the park s six sites to celebrate Founders Day. A scientific highlight for the year was the Barataria Preserve s BugBlitz. Nearly 600 students as well as community members had the opportunity to be scientists for a day as they hunted, photographed, identified, and mapped insects. EN funding was crucial for this effort. Lower gas prices, more people traveling locally, and the NPS Centennial all contributed to increased visitation at Jimmy Carter NHS, and sales for the year were $75,834. The park had a robust Presidents Day program with President Carter speaking at Plains High School in which sales were $3,554 compared to $2,990 in FY15. Commemorative park coins were purchased thanks to $2,850 in EN donations. EN funds supported a number of interpretive and educational initiatives at John Fitzgerald Kennedy NHS, including the launch of a living history interpretive program, Out of the Attic: The Maids of 83 Beals St., depicting the lives of the domestic servants at the home where John F. Kennedy was born. Funds were also used to support Founders Day events and for design and fabrication of 2016 Find Your Park street banners promoting the site and the NPS Centennial. I enjoy my opportunities to meet interesting people, share my knowledge of our country s history, and constantly learn new stories of America s Civil War from the hardworking and passionate park rangers and living history actors. I am proud to be a part of the experience that Eastern National and our National Park Service offer to our visitors. Barbara Luna, Eastern National Site Manager, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION MARYLAND Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (MD, DC, & WV) Clara Barton National Historic Site (GWMP) Fort Washington Park (NCP) Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm (NCP) Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (MD, DC, PA, & VA) VIRGINIA George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) (VA & MD): Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial Arlington National Cemetery Great Falls Park WASHINGTON, D.C. National Capital Parks East (NCP) (DC & MD): Frederick Douglass National Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National National Mall and Memorial Parks: Ford s Theatre National Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Lincoln Memorial Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Thomas Jefferson Memorial Washington Monument Rock Creek Park: Old Stone House 18 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

21 Gulf Islands NS used EN funds to support a special black powder living history event at Fort Massachusetts that commemorated the 150th anniversary of the completion of the fort. EASTERN NATIONAL

22 At Lincoln Home NHS, EN donations totaling over $26,000 were used for various purposes, including support for cell phone tours, memberships to cultural resource organizations, American sign language interpreters for visitors and a park employee, and seven living history interpreters who presented 252 programs to approximately 11,000 visitors during the summer. The first major program of the year is the celebration of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow s birthday in February at Longfellow House Washington s Headquarters NHS. EN provided key support for the program. Numerous park lectures, including Longfellow: How a Poet Became a Millionaire; Fanny Appleton: Finding Her Roots; Longfellow in Portland; and The Citizen Poets of Boston, were also supported with EN funds. Lowell NHP used $12,400 in EN donation funding, $10,000 of which was used towards the restoration of a sculpture, entitled Pawtucket Prism, in the park s public art collection. Manassas NBP used $14,000 in EN funding to support special interpretive programs and park events, including an educational event for middle school students visiting the battlefield. EN funds were also used to provide park volunteer recognition and to produce elementary school lesson plans for use in a traveling trunk program. Emposam fuga. Uga. Pitiusa autas explabo rilliciatem evellant. At Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, EN donations supported woodworking demonstrations and musical performances that were presented during the annual Forest Festival Weekend. NPS PHOTO BY BILL VALOSIN EN donation funding supported musical performances by Ridley and Anne Enslow at Saratoga NHP s 18th-Century Day event in Ridley is shown entertaining a young visitor at the event. Preservation and research projects were the focus of the ways in which Minute Man NHP used over $18,000 in EN donations in FY16. Support for upkeep of the historic Buttrick Gardens and deleading services for a historic structure is a sampling of how funds were used. Moores Creek NB had a record year for sales. Sales were $29,729 in FY16 an increase of 20 percent over the previous year. EN donations were used by the park to host a bread-baking workshop for the general public, purchase a vise for the blacksmith shop to use during demonstrations, and support the volunteer program. The museum shop at Morristown NHP was redesigned in early 2016 as a result of a successful NPS Centennial Challenge grant of $10,000, NEW ENGLAND REGION CONNECTICUT Weir Farm National MAINE Acadia National Park Saint Croix Island International MASSACHUSETTS Adams National Historical Park Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area Boston National Historical Park Cape Cod Canal - US Army Corps of Engineers* Cape Cod National Seashore Frederick Law Olmsted National John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Longfellow House Washington s Headquarters National Lowell National Historical Park Minute Man National Historical Park New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Salem Maritime National Saugus Iron Works National Springfield Armory National NEW HAMPSHIRE Saint-Gaudens National RHODE ISLAND Roger Williams National Memorial VERMONT Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 20 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

23 One of the highlights of working for Eastern National is being able to share the Passport program with visitors. I am thankful that Eastern National created the Passport program, and I so enjoy my Passport adventures that it truly is easy to share with visitors. My favorite memories of 2016 are the many times I witnessed the excitement of a visitor when starting their Passport adventure and seeing them realize the prospect of what lies ahead as they discover the wonderful existence of OUR treasured national parks. Deb Morgan, Eastern National Store Lead Associate, Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center NPS PHOTO BY JEAN VAN TATENHOVE Bioblitz participants of all ages helped gather data to assist biologists in documenting species at Saint Croix NSR. This 2016 Bioblitz event was supported by an EN Centennial Grant. which was matched with $10,000 in EN funds. The ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiling the newly renovated shop and visitor reception area was held on April 15, The new Natchez Shop at Natchez NHP opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17, The store is the result of a collaborative effort between Eastern National, Natchez NHP, and the City of Natchez. The product assortment at the new store includes educational merchandise that supports the interpretive themes of the park as well as logo products that support the City of Natchez, Mississippi. Sales at this location were up by 93 percent compared to Generous donations from EN played a critical role in Natchez Trace Parkway s interpretive program. Over $6,000 in EN funding provided support for special events, including newly created Junior Ranger program activities, a Wildlife Weekend in celebration of the NPS Centennial, and the annual Hernando de Soto Living History Encampment. Funds also supported an appreciation event for work crews from Conservation Legacy Public Land Corps, who provide trail rehabilitation services at the park. At the National Mall and Memorial Parks, over $196,000 in EN donation funding supported multiple interpretive programs and events. EN funds provided support for a Freedom Ranger program guided by the park s education specialist, in which a group of middle school students from a local school in Washington, D.C., embarked on a weeklong expedition to a dozen national parks connected with the civil rights movement. EN donations funded the cost for the continuous service of two shuttle buses during the National Cherry Blossom Festival and to automate the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Liberty of Light exhibit s projector. Funds enabled educators to present an interactive exhibit on the ecological benefits of bats during the Family Festival, the culmination of a week of NPS Centennial events. In addition, EN funding provided support for the custom construction and use of a float during major holiday parades and for layout and design costs associated with the production of the National Mall and Memorial Parks long-range interpretive plan. At New Orleans Jazz NHP, a volunteer appreciation event, exhibit rental space, a training session, musicians for a park program, and more were funded with support from EN in FY16. SOUTHEAST REGION EN s Waite & Peirce Unit Manager James Gilligan at the store. PHOTO BY LOUISE MICHAUD ALABAMA Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Little River Canyon National Preserve Russell Cave National Monument Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Tuskegee Airmen National Tuskegee Institute National GEORGIA Andersonville National Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (GA & TN) Jimmy Carter National Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Martin Luther King, Jr. National EASTERN NATIONAL

24 Participants in Catoctin Mountain Park s May 2016 Bioblitz, entitled Snap It, Don t Stomp It! The Catoctin Insect Bioblitz, work to search, identify, and photograph various insects in the park. Each participant was presented with an embroidered patch (shown on page 17) as a thank-you keepsake. The event was supported by an EN Centennial Grant. Our most sincere thanks for the Centennial Grant for our Civil War encampment. This encampment has become our most popular annual event, and we were in danger of being unable to host it this year due to lack of partner funding. The grant allowed us to not only continue it, but to have our most successful encampment in the event s seven-year history. We are truly fortunate to have such a generous partner in Eastern National...Quite simply, we could not have done our Civil War encampment this year without you! Todd Arrington, Site Manager, James A. Garfield National The EN store at Niobrara NSR had a year of significant growth, with a 45 percent increase in gross sales over The Outer Banks Group had a strong sales year, with an 11 percent increase over FY15. The renovation of the EN store in the Ocracoke Island Visitor Center resulted in a sales increase of 26 percent at that site. Over $130,000 in EN funding supported numerous NPS Centennial events and interpretive park needs. Music, dancing, ice-cold lemonade, and watermelon were part and parcel of the Independence Day celebration at Ozark NSR. Some 370 visitors celebrated our nation s heritage and the NPS Centennial at this event supported by EN funds. Interpretive supplies for the park s Ozark Heritage Day in June and the two-day Haunting in the Hills event in October were also funded by EN. In addition to the store, EN staffed an outdoor sales area for the Haunting in the Hills event, which had over 5,100 attendees. Pea Ridge NMP used EN funds to procure books for the research library and to provide supplies for historic weapons firing demonstrations. The funds enabled the park to present 105 firing demonstrations to 4,644 visitors. EN Steamtown NHS Site Manager Ruth Giardina assists a visitor who is stamping his Passport To Your National Parks book at the EN store during the Railfest 2016 event. SOUTHEAST REGION KENTUCKY Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (KY, TN, & VA) LOUISIANA Cane River Creole National Historical Park Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park WEST VIRGINIA New River Gorge National River TENNESSEE Andrew Johnson National Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (TN & KY) Fort Donelson National Battlefield Fort Loudoun State Historic Area* Johnsonville State Historic Park* Obed Wild and Scenic River Parkers Crossroads* Stones River National Battlefield Sycamore Shoals State Park* 22 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

25 Pictured Rocks NL celebrated both the NPS Centennial and its own milestone anniversary in 2016 the park s 50th. EN donations funded a variety of items to help promote the anniversaries, including banners, posters, signs, brochures, and stickers. Richmond NBP and Maggie L. Walker NHS teamed up to offer a bus tour for the public highlighting the preservation work done at the battlefield and the Maggie Walker house. The 100 for 100: History and Preservation of Richmond s National Parks tour was funded using EN donations. EN also supported the two parks at a special National Park Night at the local minor league baseball stadium by providing funds for tickets for an inner-city youth group to attend the game. In addition, visitors were able to assist an artist in the creation of a mobile mural at Maggie L. Walker NHS a unique event supported with EN funding. Many of the events at Rock Creek Park were NPS Centennial-themed, including Junior Ranger camps, hikes, and the International Migratory Bird Day Festival/Bioblitz. The park used over $10,000 in EN donation funding to support the various events and for such needs as items for team-building activities at an all-employee event and training materials for the planetarium night sky programs. Visitation to the park s nature center increased 40 percent. Sagamore Hill NHS had its first full year of operations since the reopening of the Roosevelt Home in July 2015, and store sales in FY16 were 125 percent higher than in FY15. EN donation funding supported a number of special events, such as an interactive children s food program entitled In the Kitchen with the Roosevelts. The park s top-selling publication was Take a Look Inside: Theodore Roosevelt s Sagamore Hill, which was produced and published in collaboration with EN. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new EN Waite & Peirce: Authentic and Exotic Goods store at Salem Maritime NHS was held on July 14, Named for Aaron Waite and Jerathmiel Peirce, two of Salem s merchant aristocracy in the late 1700s, the store provides an upscale, museum-quality product assortment and serves as an orientation center near the waterfront. Over $20,800 in EN donation funding supported various needs, including installation costs for a climate change exhibit at the park and a park listing in the 2016 Salem visitor guide. EN donations totaling over $139,000 provided San Juan NHS with support for a variety of interpretive and educational programs and services. To honor the NPS s 100th anniversary, the park hosted many events, such as International Kids Day, a centennial kite festival, Junior Ranger Day, and the premiere of the park s new video. These activities and more were successful in a large part due to the resources that the park was able to acquire through EN funding. Camel handler Doug Baum, with one of his camels, who participated in a Junior Ranger camp at Vicksburg NMP with the support of EN donation funding. Doug s interpretive program taught the children about Douglas the Camel (also known as Old Douglas ), a member of the 43rd Mississippi Infantry, known as The Camel Regiment. Saratoga NHP was able to fund multiple park programs and other interpretive needs throughout the year through the use of $12,500 in EN donations. With EN s support, the park purchased a reproduction German Brunswick Regiment von Rhetz coat to be used as part of the educational programming. EN donations also provided funding for horse-drawn carriage rides for visitors attending the Frost Faire, musical performances at 18th-Century Day, and more. Sales increased 26 percent from FY15. SOUTHERN REGION EN Lead Sales Associate Arkile Jackson assists a customer at EN s sales tent during the 2016 Anacostia River Festival in Washington, D.C. ARKANSAS Arkansas Post National Memorial Buffalo National River Fort Smith National Hot Springs National Park Ozark-St. Francis National Forests* Pea Ridge National Military Park FLORIDA Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL & MS) KANSAS Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve MISSISSIPPI Natchez National Historical Park Natchez Trace Parkway Vicksburg National Military Park MISSOURI Ozark National Scenic Riverways Wilson s Creek National Battlefield NEBRASKA Homestead National Monument of America TENNESSEE Shiloh National Military Park (TN & MS) EASTERN NATIONAL

26 Over $20,000 in EN donations helped to support numerous programs and events at Shiloh NMP. The events included the Music on the Battlefield concert series monthly outdoor concerts that were free to the public and commemorated the NPS Centennial. Total sales at Sleeping Bear Dunes NL set a new record of $517,687 up 20.3 percent over FY15. Park visitation was also up 10.4 percent, and visitation to the EN stores was up 18.9 percent. The NPS Centennial was the park s primary focus for the year, and EN played a significant role in this celebration by supporting programs and events and offering special NPS Centennial merchandise. Over $43,000 in EN donation funding supported a variety of park needs, including printing park visitor guides, summer ranger-led programs guides, and Junior Ranger workbooks and purchasing materials to construct the park s NPS Centennial float that was used in local parades. It was a banner year for Steamtown NHS, which celebrated both the NPS Centennial and the park s 30th anniversary in A rededication of the Baldwin Locomotive Works #26 steam engine was held during National Park Week, and EN offered commemorative and interpretive merchandise for visitors who celebrated the engine being back in service, the park s anniversary, and the NPS Centennial. EN donations funded publication costs for trading cards that visitors received at the Railfest 2016 event. The cards contained a photograph and information about a Eastern National played a big role in helping kids in New York State find their park. Thanks to a grant from Eastern National, the national parks of New York State were able to collaborate with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation on a special publication distributed for free to every 4th grade student in the state. Beth Sciumeca, Chief of Partnerships and Tourism, National Park Service, Northeast Region, Office of External Affairs NPS staff, friends, and family at the 2016 Williamsport, Maryland, Polar Bear Plunge. EN donations helped Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP participate in the January 1, 2016 event, which helped the park kick off the NPS Centennial year in a big way. key railroad engine at the park. And many special events were publicized in the park s excursion brochures made possible with EN funding. Over $11,500 in EN donation funding was used to support the park in FY16. Several NPS Centennial activities, including a Class Act senior high school field trip to Great Smoky Mountains NP, the Legacy of Stones River Symposium, and the park s third annual Tennessee Valley Winds Concert, were supported by EN funding totaling over $12,800 at Stones River NB. Tallgrass Prairie N PRES enjoyed a momentous year as it marked the NPS Centennial and the preserve s 20th anniversary. An NPS Centennial/ Tallgrass Prairie N PRES 20th anniversary quilt, made by local quilting guilds, was made possible with EN funding. The quilt received a blue ribbon at the Kansas State Fair and was viewed by over 200,000 people in a two-week time period. An extensive schedule of special events, many made possible with EN s support, brought a 33 percent increase in park visitation. EN funds supported activities including wagon rides and barn dances for visitors, a children s art workshop, women s history presentations, and more. Vicksburg NMP hosted many special events throughout the year that would not have been possible without EN support. These events included the annual holiday open house, a very popular two-week Junior Ranger camp, the annual Fourth of July celebration weekend, and additional living history programs. Over $52,700 in EN donation funding was used throughout FY16 by the park for various needs. EN funding supported the construction and use of a parade float for National Mall and Memorial Parks. VIRGINIA REGION MARYLAND Thomas Stone National VIRGINIA Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Booker T. Washington National Monument Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park George Washington and Jefferson National Forests* (also in Blue Ridge Region) George Washington Birthplace National Monument Maggie L. Walker National Manassas National Battlefield Park Petersburg National Battlefield Prince William Forest Park Richmond National Battlefield Park Robert Russa Moton Museum* 24 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

27 BRICK & MORTAR A NUMBER OF EASTERN NATIONAL STORES UNDERWENT IMPROVEMENTS IN These included the Museum of North Carolina Minerals, Linville Falls, Moses Cone Manor House, and Waterrock Knob visitor center stores at Blue Ridge Parkway; the Sailors Haven, Wilderness, and Watch Hill visitor center stores at Fire Island NS; the Ocracoke Island Visitor Center store at Cape Hatteras NS; and the store at Roger Williams N MEM. At Morristown NHP s Washington s Headquarters Museum, a newly renovated museum shop was unveiled. And, new stores The Natchez Shop at Natchez NHP and Waite & Peirce: Authentic and Exotic Goods at Salem Maritime NHS opened their doors to the public. Here s a peek inside a few. MORRISTOWN NHP WASHINGTON S HEADQUARTERS MUSEUM NATCHEZ NHP THE NATCHEZ SHOP BLUE RIDGE PKWY MUSEUM OF NORTH CAROLINA MINERALS FIRE ISLAND NS WILDERNESS VISITOR CENTER PHOTO BY LOUISE MICHAUD NPS PHOTO BY VANESSA SMILEY CAPE HATTERAS NS OCRACOKE ISLAND VISITOR CENTER SALEM MARITIME NHS WAITE & PEIRCE: AUTHENTIC AND EXOTIC GOODS EASTERN NATIONAL

28 ASTERN NATIONAL EASTERN NATIONAL S ANNUAL AWARDS HIGHLIGHT EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE AND PARTNERSHIP. The awards program was designed to acknowledge outstanding individual achievements and contributions that have had a positive impact on an Eastern National operation or an individual park, thus furthering and promoting EN s unique relationship with its partners. Here are the winners for 2016: Charles S. Marshall Unit Award The Charles S. Marshall Unit Award was presented to Flight 93 National Memorial for exceptional teamwork. Pictured left to right: Calvin Wilson, Families of Flight 93 board member and family member of Flight 93 hero, LeRoy W. Homer, Jr.; Stephen Clark, superintendent of the National Parks of Western Pennsylvania; and David Wagner, EN Mid-Atlantic regional manager. Stephen accepted the Charles S. Marshall Unit Award on behalf of Flight 93 N MEM. EN President and CEO Kevin Kissling (left) presents Dedicated Service Awards to Donald Leadbetter and Alexa Viets. Dedicated Service Award Dedicated Service Awards were presented to Alexa Viets, chief of the National Park Service Centennial Office, and Donald Leadbetter, NPS Centennial partnership coordinator, for their strong support and assistance during the NPS Centennial year. HERBERT E. KAHLER AWARD Herbert E. Kahler Award The Herbert E. Kahler Award recognizes the EN partner judged to have cooperatively managed the most efficient and innovative agency. The winner of this award is selected from among the Superior Performance Award winners. The Kahler Award was presented to Kathleen Bond, superintendent of Natchez NHP. Special Achievement Award Special Achievement Awards recognize exceptional performance in the area of store operations and partner relations. Awards were presented to the following EN employees: Sherri Anderson, site manager at Grand Portage NM, for her innovation in merchandising the store, resulting in record sales. Stephen Drain, manager of the America s National Parks Warehouse, for his leadership of the warehouse team, resulting in a well-run, organized operation and a record-breaking increase in sales. Pictured left to right: Megan Cartwright, EN director of retail; Kevin Kissling, EN president and CEO; Herbert E. Kahler Award-winner Kathleen Bond, superintendent of Natchez NHP; Helena Adcock, EN Southern regional manager; and Karen Peters, EN merchandising and store design manager. Joanne Gallagher, web maintenance and marketing support analyst at Eastern National Headquarters, for her dedication, creativity, and dependability in carrying out her job duties and being instrumental in the significant growth of EN s online sales channels. 26 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

29 2016 AWARDS Superior Performance Award Superior Performance Awards recognize outstanding partner management of an EN agency, regardless of agency size. This award recognized the top five outstanding partner personnel. Superior Performance Awards were presented to: Kathleen Bond, superintendent of Natchez NHP, for her instrumental support in the collaborative effort between the park, EN, and the City of Natchez for the new Natchez Shop. Paul DePrey, superintendent of Salem Maritime NHS and Saugus Iron Works NHS, for his leadership and support in the planning and realization of the new EN Waite & Peirce: Authentic and Exotic Goods store at Salem Maritime NHS. Eric Leonard, superintendent of Minuteman Missile NHS, for his loyal support of EN and his responsiveness in approving many new items that have driven sales to an increase of 73.4 percent over the prior fiscal year. Niki Nicholas, superintendent of Big South Fork NRRA and Obed WSR, for taking a personal interest in the EN stores at her parks, regularly making recommendations for new items, and always being ready and willing to assist with anything that is needed. Rick Slade, superintendent of Catoctin Mountain Park, for his instrumental support at two different parks where he served as superintendent in 2016 Monocacy NB and Catoctin Mountain Park resulting in increased sales at both locations. SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AWARD WINNERS, front row (left to right): Rick Slade, superintendent of Catoctin Mountain Park, and Eric Leonard, superintendent of Minuteman Missile NHS, and back row (left to right): Niki Nicholas, superintendent of Big South Fork NRRA and Obed WSR; Paul DePrey, superintendent of Salem Maritime NHS and Saugus Iron Works NHS; and Kathleen Bond, superintendent of Natchez NHP. Karen O Neal, site manager at Natchez NHP, for her hard work ensuring that the renovation and opening of the new Natchez Shop was a success. Angel Rosa, assistant unit manager at El Yunque National Forest, for his initiative, dedication, and professionalism in helping to get an EN store up and running efficiently, which resulted in a significant increase in sales. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS (left to right): Heidi White, EN chief financial officer, and Karen Searle, EN Blue Ridge regional manager. Chastity Halfhill, assistant unit manager at Flight 93 N MEM, for her excellence in fostering EN s partnership with the park and exemplary teamwork and customer service skills, resulting in multiple successes during the store s first full year of operations. Tyshon Kelton, unit manager at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, for his strong leadership of the staff and oversight of new hire recruitment and training for all stores in EN s National Capital Region. Greg Kraycirik, unit manager at Flight 93 N MEM, for his motivation, leadership, and initiative in inspiring his staff to achieve and surpass team goals, resulting in an 86 percent increase in sales for Karen Searle, Blue Ridge regional manager, for going above and beyond her regular duties to lead an EN apparel program initiative and developing recommendations for the program s future. Heidi White, chief financial officer at Eastern National Headquarters, for going above and beyond her regular duties to assist with all lodging reservations and payments for a Freedom Ranger interpretive program for National Mall and Memorial Parks. Customer Service Award The Customer Service Award was presented to Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. This award recognizes the EN store staff with the highest average score in EN s secret shopper program. The program evaluates the overall store appearance, product presentation, and staff professionalism. These two park stores scored a tie in EASTERN NATIONAL

30 FINANCIAL REPORT Management s Financial Report Condensed Statement of Activities and Changes in Net Assets Year Ended October 31, Revenues and Other Support Expenses Sales $ 42,424,000 Cost of Sales 19,152,000 Gross Profit 23,272,000 Other Support 129,000 Total Revenue and Support 23,401,000 Program Services 13,642,000 Donations and Direct Grants* 2,462,000 General and Administrative 4,288,000 Other 366,000 Total Expenses 20,758,000 Increase (decrease) in net assets from operating activities 2,643,000 Adjustment to net assets from non-operating activities (638,000) Increase (decrease) in net assets 2,005,000 Temp Restricted Net Assets Vietnam Women s Memorial 12,000 Net assets, beginning of the year 7,525,000 Net assets, end of the year $ 9,542,000 *2016 Donations and Direct Grants to the National Park Service Interpretive Program Support Publication Costs and Free Publications Agency and Capital Improvements Research and Other 81.5% 7.8% 5.5% 5.2% 28 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

31 Fiscal Year 2016 Sales Product Mix Visitor Convenience Accessories Commemorative (includes NPS Centennial Products) 28% 4.8% 5% 10% 11.9% Paper and Other Media 26.7% 13.6% Apparel Publications (includes Passport To Your National Parks ) Reproductions (includes Jamestown Glass) Cumberland Gap NHP PHOTO BY HAROLD L. JERRELL EASTERN NATIONAL

32 ASTERN NATIONAL Members of Eastern National s 2016 Board of Directors, front row (left to right): Dr. G. Jay Gogue and Gerard Gabrys, and back row (left to right): Deborah Yandala, George Minnucci, and Dusty Shultz. BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Minnucci, Chair Gerard Gabrys, Vice Chair Dr. Kevin Clark Dr. G. Jay Gogue David Harmon Dusty Shultz Michael A. Walker, Esq. Deborah Yandala EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE George Minnucci, Chair Gerard Gabrys, Vice Chair Dr. Kevin Clark Dr. G. Jay Gogue Deborah Yandala NOMINATING COMMITTEE Deborah Yandala, Chair George Minnucci FINANCE COMMITTEE Gerard Gabrys, Chair David Harmon George Minnucci Michael A. Walker, Esq. NPS ADVISORY GROUP Southeast Representative and Advisory Group Chair: Mark Woods, Blue Ridge Parkway Northeast Representative: Linda Cook, Weir Farm NHS Midwest Representative: Lisa Conard Frost, Fort Smith NHS Regional Cooperating Association Coordinator Representative: Thomas Richter, NPS Midwest Region National Capital Representative: Bob Vogel, NPS National Capital Region HEADQUARTERS 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1 Fort Washington, PA (215) (215) , fax SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM Kevin C. Kissling, President and Chief Executive Officer Megan Cartwright, Director of Retail Meredith McClatchy, Director of Human Resources John F. Ryan, Chief Administration Officer and Secretary/Treasurer Jason Scarpello, Creative Director Hank Schmoyer, Director of Information Technology Heidi A. White, Chief Financial Officer 30 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

33 TEAM HEADQUARTERS TEAM Jennifer Allen, Publications Coordinator Katrina Andrews, Accounts Payable Specialist Mary Angles, Photographer Kristie Berzins, Human Resources Assistant Georgeanne Bogdan, Accounts Payable Specialist Billy Boylan, Graphic Designer Eileen Cleary, Publications Specialist Stephen Corbin, POS Technician Daniel Doyle, Senior Accountant Heather Fisher, Purchasing Assistant Joanne Gallagher, Web Maintenance and Marketing Support Analyst Emily Geesaman, Marketing Manager Crystal Graham, Donations Specialist David L. Holt, Publications Manager Maryann Jones, Senior Accounts Payable Specialist Marge McBeth, Accounts Payable Specialist Katie McClain, Operations Assistant Kerry McIntyre, Photographer Peter R. Milovcich, Systems Analyst Diane Motylinski, Accounts Payable Specialist Gabrielle Murph, Accounts Payable Specialist Susan Packer, Payroll Specialist Tiffany Robertson-Brown, Accounting Manager Laura Robinson, Publications Specialist Andrea M. Singmaster, Human Resources and Employee Benefits Administrator Bonnie Stetson, Membership Coordinator and Administrative Secretary Kathy Sumter, Staff Accountant Erin Sweeney, Inventory Replenishment Manager Melissa Totten, Human Resources Specialist Mark Vineburg, Operations Support Manager Scott Weisbrod, POS Technician John Zimmerman, Software Developer AMERICA S NATIONAL PARKS WAREHOUSE AND EPARKS TEAM Isaiah Alston, Warehouse Product Shipper and Handler Tony Bello, Lead Product Shipper Stephen Drain, Warehouse Manager Dave Hoffman, Assistant Unit Manager Wayne Tidwell, Warehouse Product Shipper and Handler Joan Yamrich, Assistant Warehouse Manager FIELD OPERATIONS TEAM Ethel Austin, Operations Support Assistant Karen Peters, Merchandising and Store Design Manager Noelle Sapp, Operations Support Assistant in Training Kalia Vincent, Operations Audit Specialist EN Regional Management Team

34 2016 ANNIVERSARIES The following Eastern National employees reached these milestone anniversaries in 2016: 10 YEARS Mandy Gardner, Unit Manager, Sleeping Bear Dunes NL Jessica Gondela, Store Associate, Steamtown NHS Stephen Koskey, Store Associate, Blue Ridge Parkway - Waterrock Knob Kevin Marshall, Unit Manager, Ford s Theatre NHS Shirley Medina, Store Associate, El Yunque National Forest Gabrielle Murph, Accounts Payable Specialist, Headquarters Laura Robinson, Publications Specialist, Headquarters Angel Rosa, Assistant Unit Manager, El Yunque National Forest 15 YEARS Becky Burke, Regional Manager, Southeast Region Rosalyce Flint, Store Associate, Cape Cod NS Nancy Hylander, Store Associate, Acadia NP Sam Rempfer, Glassblower Journeyperson, Jamestown Glasshouse Linda Thayer, Store Associate, Acadia NP 20 YEARS Tina Maquar, Site Manager, Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP 25 YEARS Barbara Hendrix, Store Associate, Blue Ridge Parkway - Linn Cove Rulaine Kegerreis, Regional Manager, Coastal Mid-Atlantic Region 30 YEARS Maria Rolon, Unit Manager, San Juan NHS 40 YEARS Peter R. Milovcich, Systems Analyst, Headquarters REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM Helena Adcock Southern Region Kevin Bates Coastal Southeast Region Danica Buehren Virginia Region Becky Burke Southeast Region Brenda Cummins Coastal Virginia Region Rulaine Kegerreis Coastal Mid-Atlantic Region Stacy Madalena National Capital Region Cathy Nagle-Ervin Great Lakes Region Mary Price New England Region Corinna Richards Metro New York Region Zoraida Rosa Caribbean Region Karen Searle Blue Ridge Region David Wagner Mid-Atlantic Region ASSISTANT REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM Brad Cave Blue Ridge Region Aimee Meadows Southeast Region Lee Pettey National Capital Region UNIT MANAGERS Meaghan Barry, Antietam NB Lyne Bradley, Vicksburg NMP Rene Capizzi, Assateague Island NS Julie Castille, Jean Lafitte NHP & PRES French Quarter Paula Cormany, Mammoth Cave NP Ann Cummings, Acadia NP Mandy Gardner, Sleeping Bear Dunes NL James Gilligan, Salem Maritime NHS Waite & Peirce Christine Godwin, Outer Banks Group Bodie Island Margaret Haight, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP Melissa Hawkins, Colonial NHP Davidson Hobbs, Washington Monument Mark Hudson, Independence NHP Benjamin Franklin Museum Nonna Johnson, Jamestown Glasshouse Tyshon Kelton, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Jordan Klatt, Cape Cod NS Gregory Kraycirik, Flight 93 N MEM Elaine Lally, Minute Man NHP Elizabeth Linehan, Boston NHP Faneuil Hall Donna Litwin, Outer Banks Group Wright Brothers N MEM Mark Lowenberg, Cape Cod NS Highland Light Kevin Marshall, Ford s Theatre NHS David Mull, Lincoln Home NHS Erin Nolan, Lincoln Memorial Elizabeth Perry, Fort Sumter NM Carlene Pittman, El Yunque National Forest Sandra Quidley, Outer Banks Group Cape Hatteras NS Maria Rolon, San Juan NHS Paul Tiemann, Boston NHP Charlestown Navy Yard Joseph Wooley, Arlington National Cemetery SITE MANAGERS Shannon Adkins, Effigy Mounds NM Patricia Alcaro, Gateway NRA Sandy Hook Unit Kailyn Alexander, Saratoga NHP Gregory Allen, Natchez Trace Parkway Sherri Anderson, Grand Portage NM Jennifer Austin-Janssen, Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Lisa Barrett, Stones River NB 32 EASTERN NATIONAL 2016

35 Daniel Beard, Kennesaw Mountain NBP Ellen Bolin, Lincoln Boyhood N MEM Lois Brown, Adams NHP Timothy Byrwa, Pictured Rocks NL Crystal Canterbury, Outer Banks Group Ocracoke Island Susan Carpenter, Blue Ridge Parkway Linville Falls Ralph Casale, Cuyahoga Valley NP Canal Visitor Center Rosemary Costa, Castillo de San Marcos NM Robin Davis, Outer Banks Group Fort Raleigh NHS Jennifer Dilts, Big South Fork NRRA Lou Dixon, Fort Macon State Park Allyson Dowdle-Pemble, Apostle Islands NL David Eberle, Blue Ridge Parkway Craggy Gardens Carlene Edwards, Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center Rosanne Fetty, Homestead National Monument of America Jennifer Fiske, Ozark NSR Ellen Gaglio, Richmond NBP Tredegar Iron Works Joan Gagnon, Lowell NHP Ruth Giardina, Steamtown NHS Mickey Goodson, Martin Luther King, Jr. NHS Linda Gottemoller, Delaware Water Gap NRA Debra Hayes, Springfield Armory NHS Patricia Hendrix, Blue Ridge Parkway Humpback Rocks Linda Hiltner, Minuteman Missile NHS Charles Holbrook, Perry s Victory and International Peace Memorial Katie House, Hot Springs NP Amber Houske, Fort Donelson NB Alicia Humphries, New River Gorge NR Canyon Rim Ellen Hutchinson, Tuskegee Airmen NHS Karen Jaggars, Shiloh NMP Mark Kelly, Salem Maritime NHS Wanda Kindrick, Fort Pulaski NM Carly Koch, Jimmy Carter NHS Barbara Luna, Appomattox Court House NHP Tina Maquar, Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP Joseph Napurano, Thomas Edison NHP Nancy Newland, Women s Rights NHP Karen O Neal, Natchez NHP Jacqueline Payne, Cumberland Gap NHP Latisha Pippin, Pea Ridge NMP Emily Rapp, Wilson s Creek NB Kathy Rappold, Gulf Islands NS Sarah Reedy, Fort Necessity NB Teresa Renner, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP Janda Sample, Manassas NBP Melissa Schoeffel, Sagamore Hill NHS Tanner Scott, Blue Ridge Parkway Blue Ridge Music Center Anna St. Brice, Christiansted NHS Nancy Stewart, Guilford Courthouse NMP David Stroup, Andersonville NHS Jennifer Sturch, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests Michael Vigneau, Blue Ridge Parkway Waterrock Knob David Walthall, Petersburg NB Nancy Yaddow-Marland, Fort Stanwix NM ASSISTANT UNIT MANAGERS Christy Blackwell, Lincoln Home NHS Matthew Borders, Antietam NB Sara Brock, Sleeping Bear Dunes NL Cheryl Clark, Outer Banks Group Wright Brothers N MEM Miguel Collazo, San Juan NHS Wilma Diaz, San Juan NHS John Farrington, Boston NHP Charlestown Navy Yard Deborah Gardin, Arlington National Cemetery Chastity Halfhill, Flight 93 N MEM Beth Humbrecht, Outer Banks Group Cape Hatteras NS Ebony Jackson, Washington Monument William Keller, Independence NHP Benjamin Franklin Museum Markell King, Statue of Liberty NM Jessica McNeill, Lincoln Memorial Barbara Michelson, Acadia NP James Miller, Fort Sumter NM Angel Rosa, El Yunque National Forest Nazli Shah, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP Christa Sisson-Mesrobian, Jamestown Glasshouse Kathleen Viprino, Cape Cod NS Jennifer Williams, Vicksburg NMP GENERAL COUNSEL Duane Morris LLP 30 South 17th Street Philadelphia, PA INDEPENDENT AUDITORS CliftonLarsonAllen LLP 610 West Germantown Pike, Suite 400 Plymouth Meeting, PA Thank you to all Eastern National and non-eastern National personnel who helped in preparation of this report. Unless noted, all photos courtesy of the National Park Service and Eastern National. This 2016 annual report is also available online at Copyright 2017, Eastern National Printed in USA Stay connected to Eastern National. More online at the following: MEMBER Museum Store Association National Parks Conservation Association National Trust for Historic Preservation Public Lands Alliance

36 Eastern National s Partners